Lose two hearts
/damage @s 4Deals 4 points of generic damage to you, ignoring your armor.
/damage command in Minecraft
/damage inflicts a given amount of damage on a player or mob, with a damage type and optionally an attacker or a source position. Unlike /kill, the damage follows the normal rules: depending on the type, armor, effects and enchantments can reduce it.
Syntax
/damage <target> <amount> [<damageType> [at|by]]| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| target | Entity selectorone | One entity to hurt: @s, a player name or @e[type=minecraft:zombie,limit=1,sort=nearest]. |
| amount | Numberat least 0 | Damage in health points, decimals allowed. 2 points are one heart. |
| damageTypeoptional | ID · damage_type | Damage type ID, such as minecraft:mob_attack or minecraft:fall. Defaults to minecraft:generic. |
| locationoptional | Position (x y z) | Coordinates the damage comes from, after at, for example ~ ~ ~. |
| entityoptional | Entity selectorone | Entity that deals the damage, after by. It gets credit for the kill. |
| causeoptional | Entity selectorone | Entity responsible for the damage, after from, such as the owner of a projectile. |
All 5 forms
- /damage <target> <amount>
- /damage <target> <amount> <damageType>
- /damage <target> <amount> <damageType> at <location>
- /damage <target> <amount> <damageType> by <entity>
- /damage <target> <amount> <damageType> by <entity> from <cause>
Examples
Hit the nearest zombie
/damage @e[type=minecraft:zombie,limit=1,sort=nearest] 10 minecraft:mob_attackDeals 10 points of mob attack damage, reduced by the zombie's armor if it wears any.
Damage credited to you
/damage @p 6 minecraft:player_attack by @sThe nearest player takes three hearts of damage, and you count as the attacker.
Damage that ignores Creative
/damage @s 1000 minecraft:out_of_worldThe out_of_world type bypasses invulnerability, so it also works on a player in Creative mode.
Build your commandFill in the fields, then copy the command.
Command generatorAmount and damage type
The amount is in health points: 2 points are one heart. Without a type, the command uses minecraft:generic, which belongs to the bypasses_armor tag and ignores armor. Types such as minecraft:mob_attack or minecraft:player_attack are reduced by armor, by Protection and by Resistance. Each type also sets the death message. Decimals are allowed: 0.5 removes a quarter of a heart. As with any real damage, a Totem of Undying in hand can still save the target from a lethal amount.
Attacker and position
by names the entity that deals the damage, and from the entity responsible for it, such as the Skeleton behind an Arrow. This decides who gets the kill and what the death message says. at sets the position the damage comes from.
Invulnerability
"Target is invulnerable to the given damage type" appears for players in Creative mode, for example. Only minecraft:out_of_world and minecraft:generic_kill bypass invulnerability. To remove an entity without any damage rules, use /kill; to heal instead, use /effect with Instant Health.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 2 November 2026
/damage: FAQ
How much is one heart with /damage?
One heart is 2 points. /damage @s 6 removes three hearts, before any reduction from armor or effects.
Why does /damage not hurt a player in Creative mode?
Creative players are invulnerable to most damage types. Only types such as minecraft:out_of_world or minecraft:generic_kill go through.
How do I use /damage?
Type it in the chat with cheats on: /damage <target> <amount> [<damageType> [at|by]].
Who can use /damage?
Cheats on, or operator level 2.
Since when does /damage exist?
It is in the official command tree since Java Edition 1.19.4.